Only Time Can Tell

BACHELOR

FILLER 11

BACHELOR

BORUTO UZUMAKI

A WEEK LATER

Unfortunately, one cannot simply hide in their room forever. That's what my mother told me, then Hima dragged me out of my bed and forced me out into the world again. The constant fear of seeing her again plagued me, what would she do? What would I do? What would I say to her? Just thinking about her made my stomach clench. Hima dragged me out into the world, and told me that we had to at least walk around, so she took me on a pointless walk to dad's office just so I could see the sun. Still too bright...nothing's changed about the sun.

"Can I go back now?"

"You're just worried that you'll see her." Hima puffed.

"Well...what if I do?! What would you do?"

"I'd probably wave, maybe talk to her a bit....apologize!" Hima emphasized. "You can't just let things be, you like her don't you? You're on the same team! You'll get called into a mission and things will get awkward, you don't want that to happen, right?"

"No..." I groaned, Hima still holding onto my sleeve, dragging me through town. A shopkeeper waved at me, and I did my best to summon a half smile.

"Well then you've got to talk to her, or at least try!"

"You're a demon."

"You tell me that all the time, nothing's changed."

A thought fluttered through my mind and hit me in the chest like a stray kunai. "Oh shit, what if I see her dad?!" I pull away from Hima and walk backwards back to the house.

"Sasuke's at home with Chikara all the time, there's no way he'd just be out on the town for no reason! But you're gonna have to talk to him sometime too, he's your teacher, ya know!"

"Why am I getting a lecture from you?!" I moaned, Hima yanked me forward and continued to march us through town. People were beginning to stare.

"Oh God, Hima, people are looking at us..." I muttered to her.

"Yeah? So? People are always staring at me."

"That's just because you're loud and ridiculous, can you maybe try not to make a huge scene out of this?"

"It is a big scene! You haven't been outside your room for a week! I mean-" She reached back and grabbed my face. "Look how pale you are!"

"I'm not pale!"

"You look like death!"

"I do not!"

"Do so! You look like a ghost! Practically translucent!"

"Not tru-" My voice cracks as my vision strays over Himawari's shoulder and tunnels onto the person I didn't want to see. She's still beautiful. She might actually be prettier. Her hair is starting to grow out, it tops her shoulders, she wears long boots that cap off at her thighs, and her gear is still strapped around her waist. She's kept busy. Her head turns toward the racket and I feel the urge to hide. I try to grab Hima and disappear into a tree or something but it's too late. Her eyes lock on mine.

"Shit."

"Boruto!" Hima says, pounding a fist into my chest, which doesn't help with my breathlessness. My feet feel heavy like they're made of lead and my chest weighs down on me like a huge stack of bricks. Hima follows my gaze and grins.

"You'll have to talk to her eventually." Sarada's eyes dilate when she meets mine and she immediately turns away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and after hesitating for just a moment, a tiny glance over her shoulder that I feel I might have imagined, she walks away. The weight on my shoulder begins to let up and I find myself gasping for air. Did I hold my breath that whole time? "Dude, you should have talked to her." Hima sighs.

"What would I have said, Hima?! This is none of your business!"

"Uh, yeah it is! My now bachelor brother is hopelessly in love with the girl that he broke up with and he doesn't know how to talk to her? I think it's my business. It's any female's business!"

"Shut up! She might still hear you!" I say clapping my hand over her mouth. Hima grimaces and rips my hand away.

"Yeah...you definitely know how to talk to women."

"You're hardly a woman. You're still just a girl."

"I'm a young lady! That's what Daichi-sensei calls me!"

"Well who said Daichi had a good sense of judgement? You're definitely still a girl."

"I'm 14!"

"Well then it's just your hormones talking!" I said smugly.

"You're only a few years older than me, who are you to talk about hormones!" Hima pouted. "Besides I can still see the way you look at her, you love her right?"

I turn away before answering. "Yeah..."

"So you've got to talk to her eventually."

"But-"

"There are no buts!" Hima grabs my sleeve and starts dragging me down the street again. My head is spinning with thoughts of her as we continue towards the Hokage Office. I feel numb all over, the images of her flying through my mind all over again. How am I supposed to get over her, how am I supposed to make up with her? There's no way that she'll ever want to talk to me again after I crushed her feelings like that.

"You're thinking again aren't you?" Hima mutters back to me.

"What?"

"You're always thinking the wrong things whenever you think stuff. Your eyebrows get all furrowed and your hands get sweaty, and your chakra starts churning all weird. Stop thinking, it's not good for your health."

"That's the first I've heard that." I laugh.

"In your case you're much more brawn than brains, as your sister I should know that. Stop working out that tiny thing lodged in your skull, it really won't do you any good, let me do that thinking for you." Hima smirked.

"Like your brain is bigger!" I laugh.

"Mom said it is!"

"No way she did! Mom doesn't have favorites!"

"She said that I'm smarter than you are!" Hima teased. "Mom's always right!"

"There's no way she said that!" I pout. Hima grins.

"It's so true though."

"You're a 14 year old, you know nothing!"

"I bet I know more than you do!" The light catches in her hair and in that moment I'm happy to have a sister. Sure she can act like a demon and beat the crap out of me when she wants to but she's a good listener and gives occasionally accurate advice. She really is getting older...

"You love her don't you?" Hima says quietly.

"Yeah, you know that." I say knowing there isn't any point in fighting her.

"Well then you've gotta tell her that. And mean it. Don't be a sissy."

"You're one to call me a sissy! I see how girly you turn when you're around Inojin!"

"Wha-what?!" Hima blushes bright red. "I don't! I act exactly the same!"

I grin and let Hima scramble to find excuses. Maybe the sun isn't too bright after all.